


Mistletoe Panic

by Kitty Seeboo (Kitty_Seeboo)



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: And Nishiki accidentally ships hidekane, Because Hide can literally make anyone's night, Christmas Party, Happy Belated Birthday to Ken Kaneki, Happy Christmas AU, Hetare adores Hide, Hide & Hinami bonding, M/M, and gets birthstone necklaces for both himself and Ken, in which Hide dresses up like a crazy Christmas tree, tgsecretsanta, tgsecretsanta2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 14:43:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13250397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitty_Seeboo/pseuds/Kitty%20Seeboo
Summary: In a world where Ken never suffers at Yamori's hands, the biggest events in stored for him in December are his birthday (which - according to Ken - really isn't that big of a deal) and Anteiku's annual Christmas party. During that party, Ken discovers that Hide can really light up a room. Through both his his “Walking-Christmas-Tree-Disaster” outfit, and his words.





	Mistletoe Panic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thiccthighshaise](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=thiccthighshaise).



> Hello everyone! This is my secret santa to thiccthighshaise on tumblr! I hope you enjoy it, dear! It's waaaay to late for Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, but I still wish it to y'all anyway! And have a fantastic 2018! Much love!

****Ken’s birthday began as his days usually did: with a dash of problems, all of which were usually interlinked in some way. He even invented a three-point system to organize exactly how one led to the other. At the very least, doing this calmed him enough to assume a logical standpoint, even if arriving at a solution normally held about a 50/50 chance of success.

 

He dubbed today’s three-point map: **Mistletoe Panic**.

 

**Point One: Hide wouldn’t stop spamming him with ‘Happy Birthday!’ texts.**

 

Which wasn’t a problem in itself, but rather he was a bit too preoccupied to reply to Hide. Despite being on break, Touka recruited him to help decorate Hinami’s room, as Christmas was five days away.

 

“Shouldn’t we have decorated a while ago?”

 

“Who has that kind of time on their hands?” Touka huffed as she winded the green tinsel along the curtain rod. In other words-

 

**Point Two: Touka kept delaying putting up the decorations.**

 

Then panicked when Yoshimura, their manager, reminded them that Christmas was coming up and blamed Ken for not decorating.

 

But, it was also because - “Quit spacing out! We have to hurry up before Hinami comes home!” - this would be Hinami’s first Christmas without either of her parents, and Touka was dedicated to making it as enjoyable as she could. For all of their sakes. And Ken was more than happy to help her.

 

How did this link back to Hide’s spam-texting?

 

Because every time he tried to reply even with a brief “Thank you, Hide”, Touka would catch him and scold him. “If you have time to keep checking your phone, go hang these lights out on the balcony!” and “Hurry up and blow up these balloons! Keep going even if you pass out! And place them neatly on the couch! Blue, then yellow, then pink.” and “I’m throwing both you and your stupid phone off the balcony if you look at it one more time.”

 

He gave up on replying, figuring he could explain to Hide later why he ended up being ignored. Even so, they weren’t able to finish decorating before Hinami walked in, and Touka fully blamed him. “You and your damn phone.”

 

Unfortunately, them not finishing on time didn’t form the finishing point of his map, but it was the reason for it.

 

 **Point Three: Hinami wanted to add a mistletoe to the Christmas d** **écor** **.**

 

And the more Ken thought about that sentence, the less and less it seemed like a good idea. That and the fact that Touka glowed redder than Rudolph’s nose and he couldn’t tell whether it was from embarrassment, anger, or a deadly combination of both which would surely end with him combusting in some way.

 

Either him or Hetare, he thought, watching as the little cockatiel suddenly straightened up and begin slowly rotating. Then, just as suddenly, he ducked low and began swiftly shaking from side-to-side, almost falling off his perch several times, like he was preparing to flee.

 

“Oi, what’s up with the brat?” Touka asked, taking a step back.

 

“Hetare?” Hinami quickly headed for him, only to jump back when he squeaked out “Hetare!” in response.

 

“Hinami-chan, I think he’s afraid of the mistletoe,” Ken supplied, ushering her away from the frightened cockatiel. “Why don’t you take it out on the balcony? Or downstairs?” He definitely heard Touka mutter something about impaling “the damn thing”.

 

“Can you hold him for a bit, Onii-chan? He calms down quicker like that.” He agreed. Hinami lingered at the door, making sure to keep the mistletoe out of Hetare’s sight. And Ken realized she would feel a bit better once she saw that he soothed Hetare.

 

Giving her a small smile, he turned and slowly approached the still nervous Hetare. The little cockatiel kept repeating “Neko!”, but he didn’t seem like he was ready to bolt. At least until Ken opened the cage door, and he flew out and began circling the room at top speed.

 

Touka dived behind the couch. Ken tried his best to call to him to calm him, but to no avail. Hinami raced back into the room to see if she could help, and Ken saw the mistletoe in her hand and immediately knew that it was over. Hetare was through the balcony door before anyone could react.

 

He must have forgotten to shut it when he finished wrapping the lights around the banister.

 

“Hetare! Come back!” Hinami cried, racing out to the banister, looking wildly around for any flash of yellow and gray feathers. Ken and Touka were right behind her, trying to see if he’d landed anywhere nearby so they could grab him.

 

“There!” Touka pointed to the corner rounding to the front of Anteiku. “I saw his tail!” Ken really didn’t expect any less vigilance on her part, especially since she was so obviously scared of Hetare. Touka placed one foot atop the railing, ready to leap right off. “I’ll go see where he went! Kaneki, make yourself useful and-”

 

A sudden, startled scream filled the air, cracking from the high pitch it was clearly unused to. A voice Ken knew better than his own. “Hide?”

 

**Solution: Let Hide’s mojo fix everything up.**

 

Of course Hide would be the unexpected solution to this problem set. Always right there when he needed him. From the day they met in elementary school, when Hide came up to his desk and offered his friendship, to now, when Ken spotted him the instant he entered the café downstairs, sitting in his regular seat near the middle, full-length window, with little Hetare nesting cozily in his hair.

 

Koma, his co-worker with the upbeat attitude that he thought matched Hide’s quite well, took the seat across from Hide, seemingly invested in whatever tale Hide was currently spinning, and Ken managed to catch the tail-end of it. “So I decided to come over here, and then this little guy flew straight at me outta nowhere!”

 

Of course that would happen to Hide.

 

Koma chuckled. “I know. I looked down just in time to see it happen. It was the most glorious ten seconds of my day.”

 

Truthfully, Ken wished he could have seen it too. And judging by the way Touka covered her mouth and turned away, so did she.

 

Hide and Hetare puffed up at the same time; Hide pouting and crossing his arms and Hetare fluffing himself up. This only seemed to make Koma want to tease him more. “I heard that if a bird poops on you, it means good luck will come your way. So, since this one flew into you, it could mean super good luck will hit you at top speed.” He smacked his palms together for emphasis.

 

“‘Super good luck’, huh?” Hide grinned. “Like a free cappuccino?” It was then that Hide took notice of Ken, and his grin brightened impossibly. “Yo, Kaneki! The place looks great!”

 

Ken agreed; Anteiku certainly looked quite festive. The usual red lamps that hanged from the ceiling were replaced with elegant snowflakes that glowed a soft gold at their center. Tinsel and Christmas lights interweaved along the bar and around the windows, bowtie candy canes carefully and evenly tied along their length. Complete with a garland adorned with silver and red beads neatly hanged upon the door.

 

“Hide, what are you doing here?”

 

“I got tired of being left on ‘seen’.” He laughed, but Ken immediately felt bad. However, Hide refused to give him the chance to explain. “Don’t go making the ‘sorry’ face! I’ve gotta introduce you to my new friend first.” Hide wiggled his fingers above Hetare, and the little cockatiel playfully nipped at them before stepping into his palm, and Hide held him above his head.

 

“Thank you for catching Hetare!” Hinami sprinted over to Hide and Koma, both stunned at her words. She must have chucked the mistletoe out somewhere on their way down. Hetare happily chirped at her and jumped into her hands, and she apologized for frightening him and promised not to bring anymore scary mistletoes near him again.

 

“‘Hetare’?” Hide looked directly at Touka, as though the silly and rather insulting name was her doing. Who would give such a sweet little cockatiel a name that literally meant ‘Loser’?

 

Hinami answered him. “Mmhmm! I named him because he likes saying ‘Hetare’ a lot.” The little cockatiel chirped his name in agreement.

 

“Your usual.” Irimi set a steaming hot cappuccino before Hide. “It’s on the house today. A thank you for returning Hetare. Hinami-chan, why was he flying around outside anyway?”

 

Hinami quickly filled Irimi, Koma, and Hide, in on what had transpired upstairs a short while ago, before excusing herself to go put Hetare back in his cage. Then Irimi pulled Koma’s ear, chiding him for slacking off on his work and not letting their customer enjoy his drink in peace.

 

“Come sit with me,” Hide said once they left.

 

“I have to get back to work.”

 

“Work and serve the invisible customers?” Ken quickly glanced around and realized he was right; Hide was the only customer they had right now. “Come here, you can take a break long enough for me to give you your birthday present!”

 

“Today’s your birthday?” He had almost forgotten that Touka was behind him.

 

It had completely slipped his mind until Hide sent him that first text, and there never seemed to be a good time to mention it. There never seemed to be any need to mention it either. Hide had always been the one who remembered it for him, the only one who cared to celebrate it during their younger years.

 

That was when Hide stood up, cupped his hands to his mouth, and announced, “Attention Anteiku employees and invisible customers! Today, December twentieth, is Kaneki’s birthday!” Ken sprang over to him, trying to cover his mouth, but to no avail.

 

Ken definitely heard Irimi and Koma laughing and shouting birthday wishes his way, and he felt his cheeks heat up.

 

“So,” his wicked, loudmouthed friend continued, locking hands with him and wrestling back, “everybody please treat him to lots of coffee!”

 

“Hide, knock it off!”

 

“He also enjoys Tilapia Sun!”

 

“That’s Takatsuki Sen!” Why couldn’t he ever get that name right? He must have said that name - the name of his favorite author - to Hide hundreds of times by now.

 

“Quit acting like annoying brats!” Touka barked, thus ending their struggle. “And you” - she poked Ken’s nose with her index - “learn to keep track of important dates! You look really stupid when you forget to tell someone something important.” She huffed and looked away, and it took Ken a moment to realize that she’d deemed his birthday important to her, enough to be upset that she hadn’t known ahead of time.

 

It was roughly this point - if Ken had to choose - that marked the beginning of his newest three-point map, and Touka had given him the ideal name for it: **Communication Failure**.

 

**Point One: Touka should definitely start taking her own advice.**

 

Ken didn’t mean that sarcastically at all; she often gave great advice.

 

That didn’t mean she wasn’t susceptible to making the exact same mistakes she’d be angry with him for.

 

That was when Hinami dashed back into the café, Yoshimura right behind her, and wrapped Ken  in a tight embrace, grinning up at him as she wished him a happy birthday; she’d heard Hide’s loud proclamations from all the way upstairs.

 

Yoshimura congratulated him in a reserved manner: with a small smile and a pat on the shoulder, quietly saying, “Happy Birthday, Kaneki-kun. I wish you’d said something before. Perhaps we can celebrate during the party.”

 

“What party?”

 

Yoshimura raised his eyebrows, and looked at Touka, who’d blanched and froze at his words. “Touka-chan, didn’t you tell him about the Christmas party?”

 

It was an annual tradition at Anteiku, so there wasn’t any need for any formal announcements. Besides, it had been Touka’s responsibility to tell him about the Christmas party, since she had been assigned to train him as a waiter, but it seemed that it had completely slipped her mind that this would be his first time attending.

 

Ken could imagine that she didn’t want him to know at first, didn’t want him to intrude, and then she truly forgot to extend a formal invitation, assuming he’d just know.

 

“Loved ones are invited, of course,” Touka murmured, courteous and amusingly embarrassed. “If you’d like to bring your friend-”

 

“We’ll be there!” Hide chimed happily, swinging an arm around Ken’s shoulders. Then Hide ran a sentence-marathon, considering what he should wear, if he should come dressed as Santa Claus, if he should bring a Christmas cake, if he should bring _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ to watch, everything he expected Hide to think about. “Oh! I’ve got an outfit that’ll really light up the place!”

* * *

Hide wasn’t joking, and Ken wondered if it was possible to die of embarrassment.

 

His clothes were entirely green down to his shoes, and he’d wrapped silver and red tinsel all along his body, little snowmen and candy canes lined his sleeves, and round baubles (some a single solid color, others engraved with intricate patterns in a shimmering gold) hooked along his front. Around his neck hung a necklace of flickering lights with a little bell that dinged each time he walked. Atop his head, a tiny Cherub playing the world’s smallest violin. Hide wearing Cupid for Christmas fit perfectly, as it completed his “Walking-Christmas-Tree-Disaster” look.

 

He’d walked here together with Yoriko, who stood at his side holding a large, white box (and Ken was 100% certain she had a Christmas cake in there) and a proud smile, either because she’d baked that cake herself, helped Hide decorate himself, or some combination of both.

 

And when she set it down on the counter and opened it, Ken knew it would taste delicious. Smooth fondant both the shape and color of the top half of a perfect snowball. A large, red star with holly sprouting at each point adorned the top, and encompassed a golden snowflake.

 

The disappointment that he’d never be able to appreciate its taste dampered his mood, but only briefly. It was rather difficult to remain sad when that silly bell dingled with each excited move Hide made as he practically devoured her cake with his eyes.

 

“Hide, this cake is for everyone,” Ken reprimanded.

 

“Nope! It’s just for Yoriko-chan and I!” It sometimes surprised Ken how astute Hide could be without meaning to be, because he was absolutely correct about that. The only two who would truly be able to enjoy the Christmas cake was Hide and Yoriko.

 

At least, that was the case until Nishio and his girlfriend, Kimi, arrived. But Nishio’s arrival also marked another point on Ken’s map with a giant X.

 

**Point Two: Nishio didn’t know that Hetare was afraid of mistletoes.**

 

“Happy belated birthday, Kaneki.” Nishio grinned, and Kimi echoed him. “Yo, Nagachika, get hit by any birds recently?” Though point two still stood, he did know about the “Hetare-launching-straight-into-Hide” fiasco. “What the hell are you going for anyway?”

 

At that, Hide beamed, plucked the Cherub from its place, and raised it high above his head, declaring, “I am a Christmas tree! Naga-tree-ka Hideyoshi, if you will.”

 

Yes, Ken could absolutely die of embarrassment, because those who heard that tasteless joke groaned, except Yoriko, who seemed to have as bad a sense of humor as Hide.

 

But - up until Nishio pulled out a mistletoe from his pocket, holding it above his and Kimi’s heads in hopes of a kiss - everything went relatively smoothly.

 

Everyone made an effort to eat Yoriko’s cake. Touka had two slices, even though Nishio tried his best to help her out (“You’ll turn into a fat cow.”)... Or perhaps he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to mess with her.

 

Kimi and Touka put him in his place seamlessly for that; Kimi elbowing him in the gut, and Touka snapping, “Go drink some horse poop soup.” Ken has seen and heard many disgusting things this year, but - somehow - that sentence managed trump all of them. Even Hide had to put down his slice for a moment, his lips pursed.

 

Afterwards, he saved Ken from having to force down his slice by lightly smacking his head with an empty paper plate and stealing it from him. “You’re on a diet, remember?” No, he absolutely did not remember, but he wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass him.

 

For some reason, Yoriko blamed Touka for his “diet”. “Won’t you have some anyway? It can be a late birthday cake.” Ken simply couldn’t deny her plea.

 

Before he could cut himself another slice, Hide spoke up. “Kaneki’s stomach’s been really weird since his surgery. He hasn’t even been able to eat Big Girl burgers with me! Last time we went, he ended up throwing up. So don’t take it as an insult, Yoriko-chan.” And she profusely apologized. Even though it was not in anyway her fault nor did she even know about… about that time.

 

It sometimes frightened him how perceptive Hide was, how he knew his stomach was still “wrong” without even knowing a fraction of what really transpired with Rize. Though, in that moment, he felt only gratitude towards Hide because one bite of that cake would have left him a retching mess on the floor.

 

Yomo and Uta showed up around the time they got settled in the back and Koma set up the DVD Hide brought along (of course it was _Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ ). Yomo greeted them calmly, warmly despite not having even a hint of a smile on his face. Not until Uta’s hands clamped down on Ken’s shoulders and scared him half to death.

 

“No scream this time?”

 

“He” - Touka stuck her thumb out towards Hide - “screamed enough for both of them.”

 

“Oh. You’re the one who saved Hetare.” Ken snorted at the utterly mortified look on Hide’s face when Yomo ruffled his hair. “Thank you very much.” Then he turned and went upstairs, while Uta inspected Hide, who resumed eating his cake without ever taking his eyes off of Uta.

 

“You have an interesting style.”

 

“You have interesting eyes. Are they contacts?”

 

“I injected them with dye to make them stay this color for a while.”

 

“That doesn’t sound safe, but they look cool!” Hide gave him a thumbs up. Ken, on the other hand, couldn’t be more relieved that Hide bought Uta’s explanation without question. By the looks on Touka’s and Nishio’s (who’d Ken noticed lurking around behind them, as though he’d been trying to keep Uta from heading over to them) faces, they mirrored his sentiment.

 

Yomo returned a few minutes later with both Hetare and Hinami in tow.

 

Ken had quickly thought up an excuse for her when she’d been given a slice of cake and asked to eat it in her room. That she was incredibly uncomfortable with eating in front of others, and that she should be allowed her space. She thanked him, left, and never came back down. Ken actually became worried that she really went up there to force it down, the same way Touka would often torture herself for Yoriko’s sake.

 

Touka had just been about to head up, and pure relief lit her lovely face when she saw that Hinami was physically fine.

 

Hinami’s smile, however, looked plastic, and her movements and cheer were as equally artificial, save for when Hide called to her, waving cheerfully, his little bell jingling. “Hinami-chan! You came back just in time. Come watch Rudolph with us.” Hetare squeaked something that sounded like “day” and flew over to Hide, clinging to his chest and biting at the bell.

 

Touka immediately hightailed it for Yoriko, slumping down beside her on the couch and waiting for Koma to get the television (or that “dang box”, he seemed to like to call it) to work. Ken covered his mouth when he saw Yoshimura plug it in, followed by Koma - who definitely didn’t notice - proclaiming himself to be a genius.

 

“He likes your friend, Ken,” said Yomo.

 

“Call me Hide! He looks like he likes the bell the most.” Carefully, Hide held the bell between his fingers and Hetare attacked its clapper.

 

Nishio, with his exceptional timing, chose then to carry out his out his plan to romance Kimi. Ken figured this out when Hetare climbed up onto Hide’s shoulder, shrieked suddenly, and scrambled to hide against Hide’s neck. Hide tried his best to soothe him. Hinami jumped over, trying to get Hetare to step into her palms, even trying to pull him off, but he’d hooked his nails into Hide’s shirt and refused to budge.

 

Nishio laughed out. “Did he fly into Nagachika again?”

 

“Put that shit away, Shitty Nishiki!” Touka barked, leaping from her seat and stalking over to him.

 

“The hell was that, Bratty Touka?” Nishio threw the mistletoe up high when she tried to swipe it from him, and - for the second time that month - Ken knew it was over.

 

Hetare shot off Hide and back up the stairs. Hinami chased after him, and Yomo and Hide followed closely behind her.

 

“What the hell is up with that bird?” Nishio looked utterly lost.

 

“Explain it to this idiot!” Then Touka ran upstairs as well.

 

So Ken did just that, and - for the first time since he’s known Nishio - a truly apologetic look flashed across his face, and he muttered a sheepish, “Sorry.”

 

“It’s not your fault.” And Ken meant it. The fault was his own, for not saying something before.

* * *

When Ken got upstairs and entered Hinami’s room, he first saw Yomo and Touka sitting on the couch. Yomo held his index to his lips, signaling Ken to stay quiet, which he did. Touka had her back to him, arms crossed atop the back of the couch, her chin resting on her forearms. He knew her gaze was trained on Hide’s and Hinami’s backs, who sat beside each other on the floor, looking out through the glass door.

 

“I wanted to hang one right here,” Hinami whispered. “Dad always hung them in doorways, and he’d surprise Mom with a big kiss whenever she walked in. ‘Because you’re the doorway to my heart’. I think that’s what he always said.”

 

**Point Three: Hinami had been keeping her hurt hidden so as not to spoil the Christmas celebration.**

 

Of course Hinami was hurting. Especially around now. Especially when she knew she wouldn’t see her father hanging mistletoes just to sweep Ryouko off her feet. When she knew she’d never see them again, never touch them again, never hug them again. Never hear them tell her how much they love her again...

 

Though this was party was meant to bring her and everyone here some comfort and joy, despite the hurt still so fresh in their heart, fresh in Hinami’s heart.

 

Hinami curled a little further into herself. “That’s why… I don’t know why Hetare’s so afraid of them.”

 

Touka murmured, “Hinami…”

 

“Maybe he’s just not used to them,” Hide offered. “Everything gets scared of something they’re not used to at first. Like me! The first time I saw a frog, I ran as fast as I could the opposite way.” Ken chuckled right along with Hinami. He had to chase Hide for a solid half-mile before the other boy deemed it “safe” to stop.

 

“And now?”

 

“Now I run twice as fast.” Ken saw Hetare’s small head peep out from where he was snuggled against Hide’s neck, reaching back to groom his tail before hooking his beak on Hide’s ear and quickly climbed up his head. “We’ve got a traveler. I think he wants to fight my angel.” Hide was absolutely correct; Hetare seemed to take the Cherub sitting atop Hide’s ahead as a personal affront.

 

“Why do you have a little baby with wings instead of a star? Isn’t he supposed to be for Valentine’s Day?”

 

“Hmm… I did have another angel that was all glittery, but he was a solid foot long. I would’ve looked totally ridiculous.” So a foot-long angel was Hide’s dealbreaker. As he carefully disentangled Hetare from his hair, and set him on Hinami’s shoulder, Hide continued, “This little guy also isn’t actually associated with Valentine’s Day either. He’s a Cherub! Or what people think of when the hear the word Cherub.”

 

“‘Cherub’?”

 

“The real ones are much scarier looking. Doesn’t go well with Christmas decorations, you know? But, this was the smallest angel I had, and I thought he’d look cool.” Hide paused. “Plus, Cherubs are also the guys who always plead with the gods on humanity’s behalf. Just keeping us alive and whatnot!”

 

“Humanity…” Ken knew what was going through Hinami’s mind, because the same thought surely went through his. Even though they looked human, they weren’t. Not anymore, in his case. So would there be anyone to plead on their behalves?

 

“Well, they had to specify. Since humans commit so many crimes all the time. The gods took one look at us and went, ‘Huh, they’re gonna need lots of help’. Then they created a whole order of angels to basically be our lawyers and convince them every now and again why we’re worth keeping around.”

 

“Do you think there are angels for... non-humans too?”

 

And - once more - Hide became his perfect solution.

 

**Solution: Let Hide’s effortless words flood the place like sunlight at dawn.**

 

“Well, if gods and angels exist, we’re all under their skies, no matter what or where we are. And even if the people you love aren’t here with you” - Hide raised his hand and pressed it against the glass, as though reaching for the sky - “all you have to do is look up, and know that they’ll be looking down. That way, you’re never truly apart.”

 

Hide and his impeccable word choice that always made Ken feel so human, like his existence, his experiences, all mattered. And when he saw the look on Hinami’s face, that look of awe amidst the pain of that nostalgic longing for what she could no longer have, in that moment Ken thought Hinami felt the same way.

 

Then they put Hetare to sleep, and Hide left his bell for him with a quick, “Merry Christmas, little bell-ringer.”

 

As they headed out, Ken saw Nishio leaning against the wall, only to quickly snap to attention when Ken called his name. “You… morons talk too much. Come back down here so we can watch the damn movie. Nagachika!” Hide jolted at being addressed so roughly. “You’re a corny piece of shit!” Then he turned and stomped down the stairs, and Ken felt as bewildered as Hide looked.

 

He hadn’t expected everyone to be gathered around, holding up a banner that read: _Happy Birthday Kaneki!_ Written in vibrant, bubble letters with a creepy, stick-figure horse at the end. For some reason, Touka throttled Nishio for that, claiming that that the creepy horse “didn’t help at all and was just as useless as his shitty ass!”

 

At this point, he was too nervous to ask what was going on with these two and horses.

 

They’d even gotten him presents. Yoshimura gave him a porcelain tea cup with a golden rim. Touka got him a chain necklace with the silhouette of a little bunny as a pendant. Nishio got him Blondy’s coffee, because it was still the best instant coffee and the only one worth drinking outside of Anteiku. Then Irimi, who got him a pair of mittens with jolly Santas on them. Then Koma, who gave him a birthday card with a picture of all Anteiku’s employees gathered around and making silly poses and faces; the one Touka thought it would be hilarious to make a pair of bunny ears behind his head, while Nishio did the same to her. Then Hinami, who give him a kiss on the cheek and a birthday card she’d made herself, and Ken felt so proud of how beautifully she’d written a short but endearing letter within. Then Yomo, who gave him a black beanie to keep him warm. Then Uta, who brought nothing, but gave him a hug tight enough to crush his soul.

 

But nothing from Hide. Not even when it was his birthday. Though, he supposed, Hide’s presence itself was his gift.

 

Afterwards, they sat down and watched the movie Hide brought. And at around ten, everyone started heading home. Hide was the first to leave. “And I’m taking the rest of the Christmas cake, Yoriko-chan!”

 

Ken made sure to walk him out, however, Hide stopped by the staircase, and turned to face him, looking unusually solemn.

 

“Is something wrong, Hide?”

 

“Nope! I just haven’t given you your birthday present yet.” So he did remember. Of course Hide would. Hide always remembered everything about him. But he didn’t understand why he waited until so late to do it. Balancing the cake in one hand, Hide pulled out a small, gray box from his pocket and handed it to Ken, who immediately opened it. In it laid a thin, silver chain with a tiny, teardrop pendant the color of raspberries. “It’s called alexandrite and it is wicked cool. When you hold it up to the light, it’ll turn green-blue. Try out tomorrow! Or when you get somewhere with better lighting.”

 

“Hide! How did you even afford this?” He would hate to think Hide had gone and spent a small fortune for such a trivial thing like his birthday. Hide simply waved him off, as though Ken was just overreacting, before fishing beneath his color and revealing a similar chain with a teardrop-shaped gem that bore rich purple overtones.

 

“Recognize this bad boy? It’s tanzanite! Your birthstone.” And Ken immediately got what Hide’s angle was, because alexandrite was the birthstone for those born in June, like Hide. “Now we match!”

 

Ken slipped it on and asked, “Does it look good on me?”

 

“The best!”

 

“You two girls should just get a room and paint each other’s nails.” They looked up, and Ken spotted Nishio leaning over the banister, smirking, and - for some ridiculous reason - dangling a mistletoe over their heads. “Now that you two got married in the cheesiest way ever, it’s time to kiss the bride, Kaneki.” Ken couldn’t decide what to be more mortified at. The fact that Nishio insinuated they got married, or the fact that he called Hide the bride.

 

On the other hand, Hide didn’t seem to mind at all, and before Ken could stop him, Hide kissed him on the forehead. “Cha!”

 

“‘Cha’?” Did Hide not know the noise to make for a silly kiss like that was “Mwah?”

 

Then on one cheek. “Cha!” Then on the other. “Cha!” And Ken shut his eyes tightly, because he truly thought Hide would kiss his lips, but he went for a chaste peck on the nose instead, finishing with a happy cry of, “Chai tea!”

 

“What does that even mean, Hide?”

 

“Chai tea is good for the soul. Consider it.”

 

“Wow,” he heard Nishio drawl from above. “Way to make that even more disgustingly cheesy, Nagachika.” Rolling his eyes, he slipped the mistletoe back into his pocket and went down the stairs.

 

“Everyone’s in a weird mood today, huh?”

 

“A weirdly good one!” Hide grinned brilliantly, but it quickly melted into a soft fondness that Ken wasn’t used to seeing from him, but it was certainly a part of Hide that he’d like to see more of. Even the hug, the embrace that he pulled Ken into, felt different from his usual ones. So close, so intimate, the way Hide whispered near his ear, “Happy birthday, Kaneki. And merry Christmas too.”

 

“It’s… not my birthday anymore.” A “thank you” would’ve been a better thing to say.

 

“Well, then happy belated birthday!” He pushed Ken back, but kept his hands firmly planted on his shoulders. “And don’t you go disappearing on me or leaving me on ‘seen’ anymore either! I’m supposed to be the magician, you know.”

 

“Thank you, Hide.” It felt a little awkward to reply that late, but it was worth watching the surprise on Hide’s face. “And merry Christmas to you too.”

 

“... This doesn’t mean I’ll share my Christmas cake with you, though. I earned it. See you tomorrow!” Ken nodded happily in agreement.

 

Once Hide left, he heard Touka shout, “Don’t think you’re getting away from cleaning duty that easily! Get your butt over here!” Ken smiled and tucked the necklace safely beneath his shirt, before heading over to assist Touka.

* * *

When Ken got home that night, he placed all his gifts on his dining table, and headed for the bedroom before plopping right down unto the mattress. The light coldness of the teardrop gem pressed into his chest, and he caressed it through his shirt.

 

Tomorrow would certainly hold new problems, and new ways for them to be linked together. For those, Hide wasn’t guaranteed to be his solution, Hide wasn’t guaranteed to be right beside him to make things better, but - for some reason - Ken didn’t feel the least bit anxious. Maybe it was all the pleasant things that had happened to him recently that filled his heart with this giddy optimism. Maybe it was Hide’s comment about being a magician that made him feel blessed with higher chances of success, because it was certainly magical that he came across two solutions in such a short frame of time.

 

Maybe it was this little gem he clutched so closely, like Hide offered him a fragment of his luminous soul to carry, that made Ken feel as though he heard the rhythm of two heartbeats synchronizing in his chest.

* * *

**  
The End.**


End file.
